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Sunday, January 12, 2025
A quick look at key results and/or top stories from the night before, as well as a look ahead to key games during the season, to lead a reader into the new day
Much the same as the NFL season opening on a Thursday night or Major League Baseball beginning on a Sunday night, the NCAA Tournament beginning with play-in games on a Tuesday night-starting with two 16 seeds against each other-will never feel right. That said, as long as the NCAA continues playing its First Four, then Tuesday night was a pretty good start for a tourney.
With a light day, as well as a relative lack of questions about this year’s bracket, it allowed some time to let this year’s NCAA Tournament bracket marinate a bit. And here’s a thought: this year’s tourney has a lot of really good first round matchups.
The NCAA Tournament field is set, and there’s a lot to talk about. Plus the other three tournaments announced their fields, and weather appears likely to impact a number of travel plans in one part of the country.
This year’s NCAA Tournament is poised to have a number of great stories, including a number of schools making their first appearances ever. None will be better, though, than New Orleans.
Friday brought us a day full of drama and decisiveness, great games and important results all the way around. We also saw one team continue to remind us that they can make a big run later this month.
The subject hasn’t seemed to come up much at all this season, so it’s time to ask: are we on track for a repeat national title game matchup?
The Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament opened Thursday in Brooklyn, N.Y., under the guise of another money grab, er, “expanding its ‘brand.’” And while the meat of the event is still to come starting today, the early rounds still featured teams presumably playing for their NCAA Tournament lives. And all of them have lost already.
If you’re looking for one night that epitomized just why conference tournaments-and league tournament title games in particular-are such fun, Monday was it.
There is heartbreak in West Long Branch once again, with more March dramatics. Plus three automatic bids go out, more semifinal action has finished, and coaching moves start in earnest.
It’s March, and the madness has already begun in the Big South and Ohio Valley Conferences. Plus one school wins an appeal and can play in the postseason, and much more tournament action is ahead.
